As a follow-up to our last post, we thought we would share with you all some of the tips we’ve learned over the years to make sure your ride is a comfortable one!

While out on a ride have you ever developed a rash or had some chafing or discomfort in those sensitive areas? Here’s how to avoid that and have a more comfortable ride!

Wear proper fitting, quality bike shorts. These are in direct contact with your skin and that’s usually where a problem will start. Make sure your biking shorts have a liner and chamois pad and you should definitely not wear underwear. The better quality bike shorts you can afford, the less friction and rubbing will occur. You’ll be able to ride longer and more comfortably. You can buy shorts at your local bike shop or at such online sites as Performance, LLBean, and Terry Bicycles.

Before you ride use a preventative lotion such as Chamois Butt’r. This is both a lotion and lubricant and can be applied directly on your skin and/or on the chamois pad in your cycling shorts. After your ride you can use a product such as Desitin to help your skin stay dry and clean. This will also help any irritated areas that might be giving you a problem.

Make sure your seat fits you correctly. Infrequently riders find that a big cushy seat that is wider, softer and gel-filled works well. Most folks, however, find that a more narrow and firm seat is ultimately more comfortable because the more narrow seats support you with fewer pressure points and fewer opportunities for friction and rubbing. We’re fond of the Terry saddles which are available for both women and men.

Change your shorts frequently. After a ride, get out of your shorts as soon as possible and wash up. This helps get rid of the bacteria that can cause irritation. Then, wash your shorts too. Different brands of shorts have different seam placement and different chamois pads so you can decide what works best for you.

Change your riding position. If in the middle of a ride you start to feel your butt getting sore from either your seat or your shorts, the best thing you can do is to change riding positions. Stand up and pedal for a bit. Move yourself either farther back or closer up on your seat. Shift your weight from side to side and when your ride is over, using the tips here, try to figure out what you could change so you’re more comfortable on your next ride.

For the ladies only. To start with, try to prevent chafing and irritation while shaving so that this doesn’t irritate an already sensitive area. Try some gentle shaving creams and shave in a way that avoids razor burn. Next, to reduce moisture (which is itself an irritant) take probiotics, eat yogurt, use tampons. In addition to Chamois Butt’r, you could also try a personal lubricant and after the ride wear skorts without underwear to give your sensitive area a chance to rest up from any irritation it may have received during your ride.